Kaliwa Dam project set for 2028 completion, MWSS says

THE P15.3-BILLION Kaliwa Dam project, a water supply infrastructure initiative intended to boost water security, is on track for completion by 2028, according to the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).

“We are still looking for the 2028 target as this was the approved timeline approved by the Economy and Development Council,” Patrick James B. Dizon, department manager at MWSS Corporate Office, told BusinessWorld.

As of end-2025, the project has achieved a progress rate of 26%, with MWSS still reviewing the target pace.

Mr. Dizon said the agency is in the process of securing the required permit from the municipality of Infanta in Quezon province and is also obtaining project endorsement from the Regional Development Council.

The Kaliwa Dam is part of the MWSS New Centennial Water Source program. The proposed structure will stand 60 meters tall and feature a 27.7-kilometer conveyance tunnel, designed to deliver an initial capacity of 600 million liters per day.

The project is funded through a $211-million loan agreement between MWSS and the Export-Import Bank of China, executed in November 2018.

Once completed, the dam is expected to ease demand on the Angat Dam, which supplies approximately 90% of Metro Manila’s water needs.

Last year, the Economy and Development Council, formerly known as the National Economic and Development Authority, approved an increase in the total project cost to P15.3 billion from the previous P12.2 billion. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera